Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 695

; ;

Chap. V]

THE APPARENT DEFEAT

§ 105.

671

which often did not fit itself by its utter want was not able to array also Supernaturalisra But piety. of somewhat more It betrayed principles. of conflict itself for a never reached the which kind of a but of a religious sense, Infinite with the communion warmth of the mystical life of

adapted in

with

itself,

therefore,

principle,

its

to forms

and weakened

which, therefore, scarcely noticed the psychological antithesis; and being almost more hostile to Pietism than to Rationalism, it, for the most part, sought strength in sesquipedalian

words and

in lofty

terms

;

and deemed

its

duty performed by

the defence of faith in the great facts of Revelation, indepen-

dently of their spiritual significance.

As

a result of this

wrong

half a century almost

the circles of

attitude, theology lost in less than

all

the authority

science and public opinion.

had exerted in was no longer which, from both

it

It

thought worth while to continue a conflict It soon besides, was carried on with so little tact and spirit. Rationalists came evident that the interval which separated

and Supernaturalists grew perceptibly less. He who was bent upon making a name for himself as a theologian, withdrew into some side study of theology, in which at least there were historical and literary laurels to be gathered. The

still

Church

life

went

The

into a decline.

life of

the clergy par-

took somewhat of the character of the times when " priest laughed at priest " in the days of Imperial Rome. And it was

middle of the eighteenth century, that theology had nothing more to say with respect to the Thus the great problems which were presenting themselves. French Revolution came, without thinking it worth her while very

clear, as early as the

assume any other attitude toward the Church than that of The " Italia fara da se," which was a proverb concerning Italy's future in the daj's of Cavour could then have been prophesied concerning Philosophy Filosofia fara da se Theology could i.e. "Philosophy will have her own way."

to

disdain.

:

exert an influence in three ways

:

at her frontiers she could

Paganism, or she could make a deeper study of the faith of the Christian Church, as had been done in the fourth and sixteenth centuries, or, finally. give battle to the spirit of

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